Winter is coming for Charm City.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Things were looking up for Powerless at the end of February. Four episodes in, the series had grown from mind-numbingly generic to reasonably amusing workplace comedy, and one that had actually started making use of the DC Universe setting. Sadly, it seems a lot can change after a week off. "Cold Season" sees the show stumble back to where it was in its first couple weeks, reminding viewers that there's still a long way to go before Powerless becomes the DC comedy they deserve.
This isn't the first time where a Powerless episode could be quickly and easily rewritten to remove any and all superhero elements from the equation. Sure, Crimson Fox hung around long enough to have a few speaking lines for a change, but otherwise the plot turned out to be very simplistic ad straightforward. On one hand, Emily tried to prod Teddy into taking a risk and entering the Wayne Innovation contest. On the other, Ron struggled to stand up for himself while the self-absorbed Van used him as a gloried assembly line worker. Either of these plotlines could have unfolded on any number of sitcoms or workplace comedies, which once again raises the question of why NBC even bothered with the DC tie-in.
Granted, the DC elements are less crucial to the show's success than good humor and strong characterization, but "Cold Season" had little to offer in either area. I came into this episode hopeful that it would address one of the show's biggest recurring flaws - the lack of good material for Danny Pudi. He's too talented a comedian to be relegated to such a bland, thankless role on the series. But even though Pudi's Teddy hogged more of the spotlight than usual, he never really seemed to benefit from the extra attention. There were no scenes that really took advantage of his knack for physical comedy. You'd think the writers could find more interesting, amusing ways of showcasing Teddy's psychological meltdown than to have him listen to death metal and throw things at his co-workers.
Nor did the focus on Teddy's family life do much to enrich the character. The revelation that Teddy is languishing in the shadow of a more handsome, popular and successful older brother is something, I suppose, but that's too generic a character motivation to offer much real insight into who he is.
In general, the humor tended to fall pretty flat this week. Clearly, Powerless is still in a stage where it's trying to find its voice and style of humor. But where the previous couple episodes started to show a bit of an edge and lean more heavily on recurring gags like Emily's unintentional racism, the humor this week felt very bland and very safe. The addition of two snooty office bullies (played by Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Gil Ozeri and Keanu's Darrell Britt-Gibson) didn't amount to much, either. Those two characters could have fueled a fun little inter-office rivalry, but the script never did much with the duo beyond have them make halfhearted passes at a thoroughly disinterested Emily.
Ron really was the sole saving grace of this episode. Ron Frunches has a really charming, upbeat style of line delivery that makes his character a lot of fun to watch. His personal struggle to assert himself over his domineering boss also helped flesh the character out in a way Teddy's family drama couldn't really manage. Plus, the invisible plane gag was pretty funny. Every once in a while, the show's DC-themed humor does score a direct hit.
The Verdict
After several weeks of steady improvement, it's disappointing to see Powerless fall back into old habits. Outside of an amusing Invisible Plane joke, "Cold Season" did little to take advantage of the DCU setting. Worse, this episode squandered a chance to finally take advantage of Danny Pudi's comedic chops. Good thing Ron Frunches was present to pick up some of the slack.
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